Curtis S. Chin, former US ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, has posted his latest musing on Asia, with a Hollywood twist.

In an article for CNN, Curtis uses the 1960s film, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” to explain that although it is initially easy to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys, the lines begin to blur as the Western plays out, reminding us of our tendencies to form stereotypes.

Curtis links this with the common stereotype of corporations being evil and greedy. In turn, he argues that this is prohibiting the partnership between governments and the private sector – a relationship that if respected can help fight poverty in countries like India, Nepal and China.

Curtis argues that for this relationship to blossom, “[we] must move beyond stereotypes, as well as politics and the business as usual mindset. Doing so is essential to extend Asia’s economic growth to this mountain region’s most important stakeholders – namely, the people who have long called the Hindu Kush-Himalaya their home.”